Circles Conference 2017: Great Community Experience
The video above created by Lemieux Company provides just a great insight to what we just experienced at Circles. A few months ago we jumped at the chance to partner with Circles Co. Circles, led by its founder Ismael Burciaga, is a conference that longs to create a space where graphic designers, illustrators, web developers, and free spirits can all roam together and learn. The 2017 Circles conference overdelivered in so many ways.
As a team we have managed many events over the years, and the fact that Circles was tailored for designers was not lost on us. The design elements of the conference, from the layout of the banners, to the name badges, to the programs were designed meticulously in a way that can only be described as “Perfection.” Those with a good eye for creative designs would have been pleased with Circles.
But while we were expecting to enter the world of great technical design, we were most pleasantly surprised by the community and connecting aspect of the conference. Those of you familiar with Craft Consultancy, know that one of our core values is community. To our delighted surprise, the team at Circles not only cared about community, but they were driven by it. Out of all of the conferences we have ever been apart of (and we have been a part of many) we had never previously been a part of a conference that created so many intersections for exchange. From our early arrival time at the venue until 2:00 A.M each night, there were countless ways designed for us to connect with others. After the technical/ educational parts of the conference, we could take a stroll through a wine vineyard, share laughs and giggles in photo bus, or join others for a late night round of local music. Every moment was crafted with community in mind.
Circles also did a masterful job of finding speakers who came from strong backgrounds of design experience. Honestly, the kind of backgrounds where one could justify forming an elitist position, yet at Circles there were no elitist. The speakers were some of the most approachable we have ever seen at any conference. They were entertaining, knowledgeable, and provided an insight that was unique and helpful.
In the deep south, there is a saying, “They came as strangers and left as friends.” I’m not sure anything summarizes Circles better. If you are considering a conference for 2018, and want to attend one with both great content and an opportunity to meaningfully connect with others in your field, I highly recommend putting Circles at the the top your list.